Hinge construction



y 3 w. Q UEsCHER 2,646,188

HINGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 24, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gmzazerafluzschze 2? 29 23 2410 88 29 INVENTOR.

y 1953 w. c. BUESCHER 2,646,188

HINGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 24, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

i E26. 4. BY Z44) fi'OP/VEK Patented July 2 1, 1953 HINGE CONSTRUCTIONWilbert C. Buescher, Alhambra, Calif., assignor' to General Controls00., Glendale, -Calif., a

corporation of California Application November 24, 1947, Serial No.787,747

. .1. The present invention relates to devices forming the pivotalconnections between cooperating members, such for example as the baseand cover of a'room thermostat. a a An object of the invention is toprovide an improved, inexpensive hinge construction, which hasrelatively few parts.

' Another-object of the invention is to provide a hinge construction, inwhich the main members I cooperate with each other to form their ownpivotal interconnection, and in which suchmenh bers alsohold themselvesin appropriate as: sembled relation. v A further object of the inventionis' to provid a unit having components pivotally interconnected by ahinge :device, in which one of the components, by itself, serves tosecured the hinge device in assembled relation.

Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide a thermostat unithaving an improved hinge connection between its base and overlyinghousing. 7

Yet a further'object' of the invention is to provide a hingeconstruction which is capable of holding the hinge partsin openposition, without tending to move such parts following their place!This. invention possesses many. other advanmentin closed position.

' tages, and has other objectswhich may be made more clearly apparentfrom a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For thispurpose there is shown aform in the drawings accompanying and formingpart of the present specification. The form will now be describedindetail-illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it isto be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in alimiting sense, since the scope of'this invention is best dc fined bytheappended claims. 7

Referring to the drawings: V I j r Figure 1 is a pictorial, isometricrepresentation of an articulated thermostat in openv position;

Fig. 2 is an isometric projection of the hinge construction itself, withits .main parts in relatively open position, as seen When looking towardthe device from the front and upper'le'ft side'of Fig. 1.;

Fig. 3 is an exploded, isometric projection-of the hinge construction,as seen when looking toward the device from the front upper rightside ofFig. 1; j a

Fig. 4 is a. section through the hinge devicein open position, assembledto the thermostat base and housing, takenealon'g the plane 44 on Fig. 2;Fig. 5 is anisometric projection of the hinge structure, as seenfrom'the rear of Fig. 2; and

,5 Claims. (01. 220-41) Fig. 6 is a section taken along the plane 56 onFig. 4.

The hinge construction exemplifying the inven- I tion is illustrated inFig. l, as applied to a ther mostat, which includes a'base Ill and anoverlying housing, plate or cover II. The base may have a plurality ofholes I2 through its bottom portion;

through which suitable fastening elements, such I as screws (notshown),may pass in securing the thermostat to a wall or post (not shown). Theupper end of the housing I I is preferably pivoted to the upper end ofthe base In, while its lower end is releasably secured tothebase, tohold; the

housing in closed positionadja'centthe base. To accomplish thislast-mentioned purpose, a spring latch I3 is attached'to the lower endof the housing for engagement behind a suitable catch or lug [4 formedat the lower portion of the base;

' As disclosedin Fig. l, the housing or cover H contains a'suitablethermometer l 5 for indicating 'room' temperature; thermostat elements[6,

whose temperature operating range can be varied by a rotatable dial ll,which may be manually manipulated by a knurled flange l8; and a switchl9 for selectively controlling the operating or in operative conditionof the thermostat.

As aforementioned, the housing II is hingedly connected to the base Ill.The hinge structure is formed primarily by a first hinge plate 20secured to the base'and a second hinge plate 2! secured to the housing.r V

g-To attach thehinge plate 20 .to the base, the

latter is provided with'a pair ofspaced' parallel slots 22 and also witha hole 23 between the slots having an upper countersunk portion 24.-,The body 25. of the hinge plate 20 extends part way across the basel0, and 'has a countersunk central head 26 seating within thecountersunk portion the base-slots 22 to the lower surface-.28 of thebase, where the le s are inturned toward one another to form feet 29snugly engaging the lower to the body 25 of the plate. These arms areprovided at the outer portions of the midsection 30, and have forearms32 extending outwardly in opposite directions beyond the ends of themidsection 30. Fingers 33 extend outwardly beyond The base hinge plate 20 further includes an Spaced arms 3|, integral with the midsection 30,extend generally parallel the forearms and above shoulders 34 at theends of the forearms.

An intermediate tongue 35 also projects from the midsection between thearmsv 3!. This tongue is separated from the latter by suitable notches36, to enable it to assume an upwardly and outwardly inclined positionwith respect to the body;25. v

It is to be noted that the hinge "member 20 just described is in onepiece, and that it can be made from sheet metal, allowing its elementsto portion, and are integral with its ends, extendingv toward the upperend wall, Ila of the housing. These arms each have a relatively deepnotch 40 and an adjacent relatively shallow notch 4I communicating withone another. In efiect, the notches form upper and lower ledges orprojections 42, 43 on the arms, which extends toward the upper end wallIla of the housing II. For the purpose of avoiding interference with thetongue 35 on the other hinge member during movement of the parts, themain body portion,

31 may be providedwith a suitable recess 44.

. When the hinge structure-is assembled, the outwardly directed fingers33 on the base hinge member 20 are inserted within the shallow notches Min the housing hinge-member 2|. It is to be noted that the fingersextend completely through such notches, and that the shoulders 34 aredisposed within and adjacent the innersurfaces of the arms 39. Relativetransverse movement between the. hinge members 20, 2 I; is therebyprevented to any substantial extent, since such movement. causes one orthe other of the shoulders to engage an adjacent arm' 39 and forestallendwise'movement of the fingers'33 from the shallow notches 4I. Movementof ';the fingers through the open end of the shallow notches isprevented by the top wall l Ia .of the housing, which-extends. acrossthe open ends of the notches adjacent their projections '42, 43, and, inefiect,'forms a closurefor them.=

It is evident that the disposition of the fingers 33 in the notches M,and their confinementbe tween the arms 39 and the housingwa'll I Ia,form

a pivotalor articulated connection'between the main hinge members 20,2l,'.and, consequently, between the thermostat base I0 and housing 'I I.

It is also desired to maintain the housing in openposition at times, asdepicted in Fig. l, and yet avoid the presence of any force tending tomove the housing from its closed position adjacent the base. Toaccomplish this objective, a leaf spring 45 is disposed within the'housingunit plate 2I, extending across the plate substantially at rightangles to its body portion 31. The spring is bowed toward the tongue 35of the other'plate 20. The corners of the leaf spring 45 are notched toprovide outwardly directed lugs or projections 46 fitting within thedeep notches 40 in the plate arms 39, and also shoulders or abutments41' engageable with the inner surfaces of the arms In Figs. 2 and 3,this bracket is.

39, to prevent substantial endwise movement of the leaf spring.

The upper wall I la, of the housing confines the spring 45 in the deepnotches 45 by closing their open ends, in the same manner as it confinesthe hinge fingers 33 within the shallow notches M. In other words, theupper wall IIa serves the double purpose of holding, both the "spring 45and fingers 33 in their respective notches, assisting materially inmaintaining the entire construction in appropriate assembled relation.

The projecting tongue 35 of the base hinge plate '20 is relativelymovable transversely across the adjacent bowed face of the leaf spring45 as the housing I! is swung between open and closed position withrespect to the base I0. When in substantially fully opened position, thetongue 35 does not engage the spring 45. However, partial movement ofthe housing I I toward the base It causes the spring 45 to engage thetongue 35, the latterelement thentending to straighten the-springagainst-its resisting springforce;

which provides resistance to movement of the housing to closed position.This positionis shown in Fig. 4. However, sufficient force can be-exerted to'move the housing against this force-to closed position.During this movement; the tongue 35 wipes transversely across therspring45, and in so doing, first straightens the spring and then allows it toreassume its initial bowed condition. When the housing I I approachesthe.-

base Ii], the tongue 35 engages the spring 45, but lightly, or may bedisengaged entirely therefrom. Accordingly, no spring force is presenttending to move the housing to open position. Whenthe.

housing is in open position,'as shown in Figs. 1 ands, thetongue isbearing fully against the spring, which exerts sufficient force-toholdthe housing in elevated position.

The tongue and spring arrangement thus -provideior automatically holdingthe housing I I in open position, while still eliminating any tendencyforzthe housing to be shifted from its closed position.

The inventor claims:

1. In a hinge structure: a first plate-having a pair of arms extendingat right angles ofithe ends of the plate, and in the same-direction,each armbeing provided \vith'a shallow notch and'a deep notch; a secondplate having'a pair of: op positely directed fingers pivotally mountedin said shallow notches; a spring extending across said' first plate,the ends of said spring being received within'said deep notches; meanson said second.

plate cooperating with said spring to control relative movement betweensaid plates; and means for retaining said fingers and said spring intheir respective notches.

2. In a hinge structure: a first plate having'a' pair of arms extendingat right angles of the ends of the plate, and in the same direction,each arm being provided with a shallow notch anda deep notch; a secondplate having a pair of oppositely directed fingers pivotallymountedin'said shallow notches; a spring extending across said'first 'plate,the ends of said spring being received within said deep notches; meanson said second plate cooperating with said spring to control relativemovement between said plates; and a housing secured to said first plateand extending across the open ends of said notches to retain saidfingers and spring in their respective notches.

3. In combination: a base having slots therein; a housing adapted to bedisposed inclosed relation over said base; a first plate secured to saidhousing and having a pair of arms extending a V at right angles of theends of the plate, and in the same direction, each arm being providedwith a shallow notch and a deep notch; a second plate having legsextending into said base slots, said second plate having a pair ofoppositely directed fingers pivotally mounted in said shallow notches aspring extending across said first plate, the ends of said spring beingreceived within said deep notches"; means onisaid' second plate coorarms extending at right angles of the ends of the plate, and in the samedirection, each arm being provided with a shallow notch and a deepnotch; a second plate having legs extending into projections, the spacedprojections of one memher being hingedly connected respectively toithespaced projections of theother member, the axis of the hingedconnections falling along a common line; a leaf spring extendingbetweenthe spaced projections of one of-the members and carried thereby;saidleaf spring having relatively wide parallel surfaces and narrowedges; the wide surfaces of the spring being spaced from the axis; andan abutment rigidly fastened to the other member and between its twospaced v projections, said abutment engaging the leaf spring on one widesurface thereof and forming a rest for the said one member yieldingly tomaintain the housing and the base in open hinged position; the place ofcontact between the abutment and the spring being spaced from said baseslots, said legs terminating in feet disposed against the bottom of saidbase; said second plate having a pair of oppositely directed elements,each element including an outer finger pivotally mounted in saidshallownotch anda shoulder adjacent said finger engageable with an arm toprevent substantial endwise movement of said finger from said shallownotch; a spring 7 leaf extending across said first plate, the ends 5. Incombination: a base; a housing cooprespectively rigidly fastened to thehousing and erating with the'base; a pair of hinge members' 4 the base;each ofqsaid members having spaced Number.

the hinge axis so that when the hinge is being closed, said rest slidestransversely off the said wide surface. 4 I

WILBERT o. BU ESCHER. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Date 'Name V 7, 193,208, 7 Arnold July 17, 1877 722,624Pickop Mar. 10, 1903 823,911 Anderson "June 19, 1906' 1,165,894 7Negraval Dec. 28, 1915 2,041,566 Mischler v May 19, 1936 2,126,049Shifiman et a1. Aug. 9, 1938 2,160,623 Persons- May 30, 1 939 2,208,871Rogers 'July 23, 1940 2,231,909 Hempel Feb. 18, 1941' 2,243,065 BarrettMay 27, 1941 2,279,666 Etnyre Apr. 14, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date Great Britain May 2, 1929

